Strategy to boost F1 in Singapore working as race turnout grows
There are no certainties in motor racing but the Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix might be as good as it gets for Formula One (F1).
This year's race, won by Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, drew 263,000 fans over three days. It was the second highest turnout in the event's history, behind the 300,000 fans who attended the inaugural edition in 2008.
Crowd numbers have gone up two years in a row, after falling 15 per cent to 219,000 in 2016.
Promoter Singapore GP attributed the increase to its entertainment and hospitality offerings. Besides the new 3,000 sq m Twenty3 at Turn 23, which formed a cluster of three restaurants, four bars and the two-storey Apex Lounge, this year's musical acts included English singer Dua Lipa and top Dutch deejay Martin Garrix.
Said 22-year-old Nanyang Technological University student Cheng Xinwei: "It's my first time at F1. I went for Martin Garrix as he has been my favourite artist since 2014. His music is very unique."
Choosing the right type of artists who are not the sort "your traditional F1 fan follows but appeals to a younger demographic" was a smart strategy, said Mr James Walton, Deloitte South-east Asia's sports business group leader.
Data from Twitter appears to reflect the success of the efforts to engage millennials.
More than 1.1 million tweets with the hashtag #SingaporeGP were recorded during the Sept 10-17 race week, up from 970,000 and 810,000 in the last two years respectively.
The night race has retained its allure in spite of uneven viewership numbers across F1 and for other Asian races.
Malaysia staged its last F1 race at Sepang last year after 19 editions, citing a sharp decline in terms of TV audiences and spectators. It drew a record low of 88,000 in 2016.
Haas driver Romain Grosjean said of Singapore last week: "It makes some great footage, and clearly Singapore is one of the most beautiful races you can have by night. It's pretty awesome." - ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CARA WONG
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